Filmart 2012: Japanese Government to Fund International Co-Productions

Qualifying projects must include financing from both Japan and an overseas partner, domestic and international distribution, as well as a Japanese party who owns or co-owns the copyright to the finished product.

HONG KONG - UNIJAPAN, the government-backed organization for promoting Japanese film overseas, held ‘A meeting between producers: Stimulating an International Co-Production’ at Filmart on Tuesday.

The head of UniJapan, Hideyuki Takai, opened the proceedings with a video about Tokyo International Film Festival, which also comes under the organization’s umbrella. He went on to explain the new subsidy system for international co-productions that is being offered through the Agency of Cultural Affairs.

Qualifying projects must include financing from both Japan and an overseas partner, domestic and international distribution, as well as a Japanese party who owns or co-owns the copyright to the finished product.

In addition, there are criteria that must be satisfied for projects, with points awarded for factors including Japanese locations, directors, screenwriters, designers and soundtrack composers.

“Productions only need to get three points to be eligible, so it is fairly easy to qualify,” pointed out Takai, to laughs from the audience.

UniJapan will be responsible for issuing certificates of eligibility that will qualify films for subsidies of up to 20 percent of production costs, to a maximum of 50 million yen ($600,000).

Following the presentation, an international panel featuring producers from China, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Thailand, shared their experience of working with co-productions.